No, this is not a seven-star hotel. It’s a bizarre and opulent place to stay, with a captivating design but service that generally falls well short of our standards. You may find it interesting for a night or an afternoon experience, but don’t set your expectations too high.
Stay at Burj Al Arab
A sail shimmering above the Arabian Sea. The dazzling promise of the world’s “first seven-star hotel.” More than 2.5 million hashtag mentions on Instagram. The Burj Al Arab is one of the world’s most famous hotels, but its fame has been spread by people who didn’t actually stay there. From our experience, this is definitely not the most luxurious hotel in the world. There’s very little to justify spending €3000 a night. There’s not even a beach. However, the opulent design is very unique and we can understand why some people want to try the Burj Al Arab experience. Our recommendation is to keep your stay short and keep your expectations a long way below the hype.
Location
The coastal location means fantastic views but Burj Al Arab doesn’t actually have a beach. We do like the Jumeirah hotel brand who operate Burj Al Arab. Jumeirah Al Naseem is the neighbouring property. It’s better value, has genuine five-star service, a beautiful beach, and great views onto the famous sail.
Rooms
Outlandish, eccentric, bizarrely opulent…Burj Al Arab has a very interesting design and while it’s not to most people’s tastes, there’s a real temptation to try it. Consider coming here for an afternoon tea or dinner, so you can experience the building and design, without overpaying for the rooms. The rooms themselves are enormous and well appointed, we just struggle with their price, in comparison to what we see as the best hotels in Dubai.
Who is it for
People who have to see it to believe it. People who want to experience what the hype is all about.
Facilities & activities
The main criticism we have of Burj Al Arab is the service. Considering the high price and promise of “seven-star luxury,” we have very disappointing experiences with the service. One of our clients left halfway during their stay. The promised butlers don’t really exist and the overall service is below Dubai’s usually lofty standards. As for amenities, Burj Al Arab has plenty, with the famous afternoon tea a good option to experience the hotel without booking a stay.
Burj Al Arab Photo Gallery
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